Dr Surujbally declared that, "Team GECOM has prepared itself optimally for these polls. The team has checked and rechecked all the tiles that make up the mosaic called 'The 2006 Elections.' The team has trained and retrained staff, held refresher courses. We are ready."

A GECOM release issued yesterday afternoon quoted Dr Surujbally as saying that "a high level of commitment, professionalism and efficiency has been evident in preparation for these elections. This has resulted in the commission reaching a satisfactory state of readiness which will meet international best practice, and which I am confident will withstand international scrutiny."

He told Stabroek News that although GECOM was optimally prepared to manage the technical process, "we can't manage the political, social and criminal elements that create and define an environment in which the elections can be held."

He called on all political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that would not result "in any elector being intimidated, physically hurt or in any other way being prevented from or discouraged from voting on Election Day."

However, he noted that the environment yesterday appeared tranquil and conducive to eliminating any sense of fear among the electors. "That is good. So I am hoping that wisdom and maturity of the political parties would prevail and that we have a poll that has no hiccups or unseemly behaviour."

He called on everyone to "pool our collective efforts" towards the holding of successful elections so that afterwards "we could go about our individual lives with love, care and respect for each other regardless of ethnicity, political affiliation or allegiance."

Acknowledging the anxiety that is usually associated with the delay in the announcement of the official results, Dr Surujbally said that at the media centre, which has been set up at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, GECOM would be informing the public of the accumulated results and the state of play through himself, communications consultant Hugh Cholmondeley, the Chief Election Officer, Gocool Boodoo and other GECOM officials.

The release noted that after the poll is closed at 6 pm the Statement of Poll, signed by the presiding officer and party agents, is posted at a conspicuous place at each polling station; each returning officer declares the results for each electoral district and the Chief Election Officer declares the official results.

"Let me emphasize that the Chief Election Officer is the only person legally authorised to announce the official results of the elections. Please do not pay heed to results being publicized by anyone else," Dr Surujbally urged in a release GECOM issued yesterday afternoon.

GECOM Public Relations Officer Vishnu Persaud told Stabroek News that apart from the scheduled updates provision is also being made for unscheduled public updates, on a 24-hour basis, on the conduct of the elections, and of the totals of votes cast for each of the ten political parties contesting the elections.

The main objective of the centre is to enable all stakeholders to access official data and information on the progress of the conduct of the elections including the tallying of votes for the contesting political parties.

The centre is outfitted with a results display screen that would project and present regularly updated data and information in a form that enables television viewers to understand, monitor and track totals of votes cast for each of the parties.

The centre would start operations today at 9 am when the GECOM Chairman is scheduled to give his first briefing on the opening of poll and the status of the operational arrangements. He is scheduled to give other briefings at 2 pm and at 6.30 pm along with the Chief Election Officer. The Chief Election Officer is scheduled to give the last briefing for the day at 11 pm. On Tuesday, the first briefing on the progress of the counting of ballots would be at 6 am with updates at 1 pm and 8 pm by the Chief Election Officer.

On Wednesday at 2 am the Chief Election Officer would continue the update on the counting of ballots and this would continue at 8 am and at 1 pm. The official declaration of the results of the elections is scheduled to be made by the Chief Election Officer and GECOM Chairman and Commissioners at 8 pm. "When all is said and done, we feel we should have everything by Wednesday evening at 8 pm. Failing that and that is if something should happen then we give it on Thursday morning. But right now it looks like Wednesday evening."

The Wednesday date is crucial as a new Parliament has to be convened by September 2 based on a recent controversial amendment of the constitution.

Surujbally said that there could be hiccups and referred to the recent shortage of aviation fuel that could have set back progress in arrangements for hinterland and riverain areas, which are accessible by light aircraft. That matter has fortunately been resolved and he gave credit to the Aircraft Owners Association for this.

"I am very positive right now. I went out myself this morning and things looked pretty good. I'm not too disturbed right now about that aspect of things," he said referring to the actual polling day preparations.

Meanwhile, Head of the Organisation of American States observer mission and Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin told Stabroek News that his team continued visiting polling sites yesterday and found some polling stations in the South Georgetown area still being set up. However, in the majority of cases, they felt things were in order. They also met with GECOM staff and representatives of political parties.

Ramdin said he was pleased with the climate yesterday and hoped it would continue today. "That would depend on the people and how they behave on elections day and on GECOM personnel to finish the counting of the ballots after six o'clock when the polls are closed. Of course things would happen during the day but those need to be resolved as effectively as possible," he said.

Based on yesterday's field tours and meetings, he said, "I feel good and I hope we can have a good elections day tomorrow. I think it is good for Guyana to have quiet elections and for the people to await the outcome quietly, also."

In terms of deployment plans, he said all the international observers - a total of 124 - would visit just over half of the polling stations throughout the country so that at the end of the day there should be good reports from the observers as to the conduct of the elections.

On Saturday evening all the major political parties closed off their campaigns with rallies and public meetings in the more populated areas of the country. Ten political parties are contesting the elections with six fielding Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates.

The parties in the race are the incumbent People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), People's National Congress Reform - One Guyana (PNCR-1G), Alliance For Change (AFC), Guyana Action Party/Rise, Organise and Rebuild Guyana (GAP/ROAR), the Justice For All Party (JFAP) and The United Force (TUF), which are contesting the general and regional elections and the Guyana National Congress (GNC), the National Democratic Front, the Liberal Democrats and People's Republican Party.

The Chief Election Officer is the only authorised person who could make announcements regarding any change associated with the management of the elections, a Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) release issued yesterday afternoon said.

GECOM issued the advice following the circulation of rumours by telephone text messages and pamphlets that there has been a last minute relocation of polling stations.

Stating categorically that there has been no last minute relocation of polling stations, GECOM said that the polling stations for the conduct of the 2006 General and Regional Elections remain at their originally established venues.